We bring together a team of tenured, senior specialists that continually review your long-term goals and needs, from tax-planning and investing to sophisticated wealth-transfer strategies. Whatever your stage in life, our team of experts can help devise the right strategy to help you reach your goals.
Estate settlement
Choosing an executor is one of the most important steps you’ll take during the estate settlement process.
Estate settlement requires a broad range of skills and carries a long list of responsibilities, from preparing and filing tax returns to avoiding and resolving conflicts among beneficiaries. It also carries significant legal obligations and requires a commitment of time and energy—with most large estates requiring at least three years to complete settlement.
How a professional executor can help
Our professionals deliver concrete benefits to your estate, such as potential income and estate tax savings, minimizing expenses, helping to achieve more favorable outcomes on sale transactions and mitigating conflict among beneficiaries.
Your estate settlement team handles everything from start to finish
Your estate team includes estate settlement officers and administrative professionals who take full responsibility for the settlement process and related legal liabilities from the beginning through completion. Other specialists, such as tax professionals and trust counsel, will assist your team as needed throughout the process.
1. Understanding your estate
- Gather information; review the will, trust document and any probate court filings
- Research benefits available to the surviving spouse
2. Safeguarding your assets
- Locate, secure and value assets and property
- Obtain professional appraisals for artwork, jewelry, real estate and other assets
- Review and maintain insurance as needed
- Coordinate the sale of belongings and other property
3. Overseeing investments
- Determine liquidity needs and recommend the sale of assets to meet expenses
- Manage remaining assets for future beneficiaries
- Take responsibility for investments, and oversee other managers
4. Paying expenses, maintaining records
- Pay expenses, estate debts and administration expenses
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of all estate transactions
- Defend the estate from unfounded or unsubstantiated creditor claims
5. Distributing assets to beneficiaries
- Oversee the preparation of final accounting of estate activity for beneficiaries
- Distribute assets according to the estate plan
6. Collaborating on the preparation and filing of tax returns
- Identify opportunities to minimize tax liabilities
- File final income and gift tax returns and make any payments due
- Pay estate taxes due (federal and state), as well as generation-skipping transfer taxes and oversee the preparation and filing of all related tax returns
- Ensure timely filing of annual estate and trust income tax returns for any income earned during the administration period
- Collaborate with other advisors to resolve any state or federal tax audits
Expertise in real estate, art collections and unusual assets
Our longstanding relationships with auction houses, real estate experts and other specialists enable us to manage the valuation of special assets and the details of all transactions.
Additional resources and expertise
